Lesson 1: From soup to cells the origin of life (Working Draft)
State Standards: Students demonstrate an understanding of ……………………… By………………
Context of Lesson: Overview of lesson, including: where it fits in unit, what are key ideas and what will students be doing.
Class time: 1 class period, 47 min
Classroom: Biology Lab
This activity is a prelude to the study of evolution; students will investigate a series of readings that cumulatively describe a scenario which ventures to explain the origin of life from a primordial sea (soup) to the eventual development of the first cells
There are eight short readings (one page or less) each of which will be assigned to one of eight groups chosen by random selection
The readings have been handed out prior to the lesson & the students are instructed to read the information prior to class. There are 27 students in the class and there are four copies of each reading, which have been shuffled and distributed to the class so that at least three students have the same reading.
The readings come from the University of California, Berkeley education website and the URL is printed on each informational sheet. Students may visit the site for further reading.
The students will read the informational sheet; meet with others who have the same reading to construct a summary of their readings and present to the class at large.
Materials: Informational handouts Overhead transparencies dry erase markers Overhead projector photocopies of class notes
Objectives:
The students
Instruction: Opening:
Class time
Activity
Description
5 min
Settle in
Meet and greet students at the door of the classroom
Take role
Assume a position in front of the class and ask for attention as we begin
10 min
Opening Question
Cell theory suggests that all living things come from other living things. If that is so then how did the first cell come to be?
We will engage in a short discussion which allows students to voice their ideas as to how they think the first cell was formed
This should activate some knowledge and stimulate an exchange that highlights a patchwork of unconnected knowledge
(I will limit the discussion to 5 minutes)
students will then be given an opportunity to reread their homework assignments and
write down the important points of their readings (5 minutes)
min
min
ppp
Engagement:
Class time
Activity
Description
10 min
jigsaw activity
students will be asked to find other students in the class who had the same reading and assemble into groups
Lesson 1: From soup to cells the origin of life (Working Draft)
State Standards:
Students demonstrate an understanding of ………………………
By………………
Context of Lesson:
Overview of lesson, including: where it fits in unit, what are key ideas and what will students be doing.
Materials:
Informational handouts Overhead transparencies dry erase markers
Overhead projector photocopies of class notes
Objectives:
Instruction:
Opening:
- Cell theory suggests that all living things come from other living things. If that is so then how did the first cell come to be?
- We will engage in a short discussion which allows students to voice their ideas as to how they think the first cell was formed
- This should activate some knowledge and stimulate an exchange that highlights a patchwork of unconnected knowledge
- (I will limit the discussion to 5 minutes)
- students will then be given an opportunity to reread their homework assignments and
write down the important points of their readings (5 minutes)Engagement:
- students will be asked to find other students in the class who had the same reading and assemble into groups
*Closure:
Assessment: